


If Only Through Words

by lashworthe



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Adoribull - Freeform, M/M, Modern AU, soldier bull
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-20
Updated: 2015-12-31
Packaged: 2018-04-27 08:16:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5040916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lashworthe/pseuds/lashworthe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dorian hates the stupid assignment that makes him write a letter to a soldier overseas. When the soldier replies, Dorian finds himself enjoying the words from the man across the world. Making friends does not come easily to Dorian, but he enjoys the letters more and more. But sharing your heart across a battlefield is dangerous, and Bull and Dorian will have to fight to keep touching, if only just through words.</p><p>Modern AU with soldier Bull and student Dorian. Told through their letters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/136394197@N02/22315103536/in/dateposted-public/)

[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/136394197@N02/22153111230/in/dateposted-public/)

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/136394197@N02/22351784891/in/dateposted-public/)

[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/136394197@N02/22352652371/in/datetaken/)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the love!! You're welcome to come say hi on tumblr. I'm lash-worthe

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soldier,   
> My handwriting is refined, not cute. Why do you keep including those ridiculous drawings? They're not very refined.   
> I'll have you know that my college is the very best around and I am in the top 1% of my class, on schedule to graduate with my BBA before I continued on for an MBA and take over my father's international company. It will be perfect. It's all planned out.   
> So perhaps you are mistaken about my college. It's just this one Civics class that is ridiculous really. I know how to be civil so I don't see why I must take a course on it. A waste of my time really.   
> And my friends are also the very best around. All of them. They are. All of them are also in the top 1% and the most stylish people on campus. We look like a group of models walking through campus, traffic-stopping (especially when I wear my leather pants) so no I have the very cream of the crop in all departments of my life. Everything is perfect, flawless and exaclty on schedule.   
> You really throw rocks? That's the most barbaric thing I've ever heard. I can't imagine ever being that bored, not even in my accounting class which is the most boring of boring classes. I'd really rather gouge out my eyes than go over one more formula for return on investment. Uggh.   
> Also, stop writing back.   
> Dorian
> 
> Yo Dorian!   
> Your college might be the very best, but that doesn't mean it's best for you. Those can be different, you know? So you're going to be a big business man like your daddy, huh? I bet you'll look hot in those suits. Probably wearing lacey things under them I bet.   
> Glad your friends are hot too. I guess that's good? My guys are all great but I don't think we'd win any modeling awards even here in damn nowhere sand land. It's warm out here so we've all got sweet tans now. And I've got lots of muscles. I bet I could pick you up with one hand and bench press you easy. I want to see you in those leather pants. You should send me a pic some time.   
> You should send me a pic some time.  
> Bull
> 
> Soldier,   
> I am not sending you a photo of anything lacey! How rude of you to even ask such a thing. And I do look quite stunning in my Armani suits, but, to be honest, I look good in everything so that's no surprise. Happy Halloween by the way. I imagine it will be closer to Thanksgiving by the time you get this letter but it's Halloween now and I am in my amazing Freddie Mercury outfit and about to go get drunk.   
> I might have pregamed a little. Only a little.   
> I really like going out to get drunk. The bars are so much fun. We're going to Skyhold, the hottest gay nightclub in town and I can't wait! Midterms suck and I hate it here. School is ridiculous and business is absurd. I don't want to sit in a suit all day and go to meetings talking about numbers. A waste of a perfectly incredible face, and a far above-average mind. I just don't see what the point of it is.   
> Sera told me she'd bring glitter tonight so I really looked like a true Queen. As long as father doesn't see the pictures it should be all fine. Funner than fun even!   
> Sera doesn't go to my school. I don't actually know what she does besides cause trouble, but it's fun, and so is she. She's my friend for all times.  
> None of my school friends want to go out in glitter and scream We Are the Champions at 1am, but Sera does! We're going to have fun.   
> OH Sera is here!   
> Happy Halloween!  
> (from Sera: Are there bees in the dessert? Throw them at people!)
> 
> Yo Dorian,   
> Sera sounds fun, and tell her there are bees out here and they suck. I'll try to throw them at someone and see what happens. Might be a new way to annoy everyone. I like Sera, tell her I say hi.   
> Sounds like you need a better college time if you hate your classes that much. You don't have to go just cause your dad did business shit. Don't waste that pretty face and smart mouth on something you don't like. It might suck out here sometimes, but I like it and that;s why I stick around.   
> Besides, frown too much and you'll wrinkle that pretty skin of yours hot stuff.   
> I bet you looked amazing as Freddie, did you go out singing and strutting? I can just imagine all the places that glitter ended up. You should send me some pics of that. Or pics of those lacey things.   
> We didn't do anything for Halloween. Well, Rocky drew a shitty picture of a pumpkin and Grim stabbed it. Krem tried to tell a ghost story but he sucks at telling anyone anything.   
> Happy whenever the hell it is in California!


	3. Chapter 3

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dorian's letter:
> 
>  
> 
> Soldier, 
> 
> I will tell Sera no such thing or else she will be on her way to try to find these bees. She’s convinced bees in a jar will be the weapon of the future. 
> 
> I’m not exactly sure what I wrote you last. I may have pre-gamed a little harder than I intended but I couldn’t just let that bottle of tequila sit all alone, now could I? I am perfectly fine in my classes. It’s fine to hate what you’re studying. All totally normal, rational things to do. No one likes what they do, that is a fact of life. Father and mother hate their jobs (and each other) and they still created the most beautiful wonder ever, me. 
> 
> And yes, I did look quite amazing. An uncanny likeness if I do say so myself (and I do) but I didn’t go out to a karoke bar. 
> 
> I went to a club to allow the world to admire me. Sera got glitter on everything and everyone. Somehow she got bags of glitter set up in the ceiling and then suddenly it was raining glitter. Though no one really minded, except for a few of the drag queens who were not happy to get glitter out of their wigs. 
> 
> I always say more glitter is better in those cases. 
> 
> Dorian
> 
>  
> 
> Bull's Letter:
> 
> Yo Dorian, 
> 
> Man I haven’t been to a drag show in years! I use to go sing at them. Krem would help me get my ‘pillowy man bosom’ to looks like tits. I have a great rack. I’m way too muscle-y now to do that, no pillowy bosom here, all rippling manly man. You like that?
> 
> Maybe I’m not an expert but hating everything doesn’t sound like a real normal life. You just got to do what you want and to hell with the rest of the world. Or something like that. Krem keeps making fun of your handwriting, saying it looks all fake. I just told him that’s what pretty handwriting looks like and to not be jealous. 
> 
> Go quit your school. And send me pics. 
> 
> Bull


	4. Chapter 4

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dorian's Letter:
> 
> Soldier, 
> 
> I am not sending you pictures! I don’t know why you are so determined for that but that is not happening. If father found those pics…  
> I can’t even imagine you as a drag queen. Your stick figures must be a likeness of you and your bosom. Send me a picture of that!
> 
> Quitting school is a lovely thought but father is paying for everything only as long as I stick to the plan. Business degree, lovely marriage to a woman I will likey despise, and then a safe miserable life for everyone. So glamourous.
> 
> Not that that stops me from going on dates. I’ve actually got one tonight I’m about to leave for.
> 
> My handwriting is elegantly crafted and perfect, not pretty!
> 
> And blast this damn glitter! It won’t go away! 
> 
> Dorian
> 
>  
> 
> Bull's Letter: 
> 
>  
> 
> Yo Dorian, 
> 
> Telling me about going on dates is a low blow. I can’t even go pick you up and take you to dinner then show you a real good time. 
> 
> If you don’t like ladies, why would you marry one? That’s kind of stupid. Not that you are, so I don’t know why you’d do that. You can do stuff without money, right?
> 
> Anyways, we’re moving bases soon which sucks. We have to pick up all this shit then trek across the desert with this shit and then set all this shit back up. Krem and Rocky are already complaining but them’s the orders. Sometimes I really want to just start my own company and not give stupid orders to my boys. I don’t think the government would like that much, huh?
> 
> Stay lacey!
> 
> Bull


	5. Chapter 5

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bull's Letter:
> 
> Yo Dorian!
> 
> Sorry it's been a bit. We just got settled into our new place. It's alright. Least there's a not broken TV here so we can watch some weirdo channels. It's something to do. We spend a lot of time coming up with shit to do. Anyways, just sending you the new address hot stuff.
> 
>  
> 
> Dorian's Letter:
> 
>  
> 
> Soldier,  
> I do hope your travels were easy enough. Did you really have to carry everything on your... head? Back? Whatever that drawing is of. I hope you do at least get cars or trucks or something to move all of your things. Do you even have a lot of things? I just imagine you with nothing but a roll badly ripped paper and some colored pencils.  
> I have to admit I really know nothing about what a soldier's life in the middle of nowhere is like. Do you get to go do normal things? How long are you even there for? Where do you live when you're not in the middle of a desert?  
> I am heading into finals and that means pulling out all my hair (though not really. I have excellent hair and that would be a tragedy). Sera keeps suggesting we go out and drink away our troubles. I'm not sure what her troubles are but mine are every class I'm in, except the Civics class which is a cake walk. Anyways, Sera says hi. I have banned Sera from using any more glitter. I'm STILL cleaning it up from Halloween.  
> Ignore Sera's RUDE drawing of me. 
> 
> Travel safely!  
> Dorian
> 
> From Sera: Haha, I drew your butt!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bull's Letter:  
> Yo Dorian,  
> Like the lip warmer hot stuff! Keep you warm on those cold Cali nights? Thanks Sera!   
> It honestly gets pretty boring out here. Not like the movies really. I mean sometimes there's a lot of fighting and shit blowing up. But mostly it's a lot of waiting for shit to blow up.   
> We've been lucky and not hit by much trouble, but a few other units got slammed hard by IEDs. Those suckers are the worst. One minute road next minute nothing but burning crap.  
> I've been here six months. Got another six to go then I go home back to Texas (everything really is bigger). Want me to come visit when I get home?  
> Bull
> 
>  
> 
> Dorian's Letter:
> 
>  
> 
> Soldier Bull,
> 
> Finals are done. I'm drunk. I hate everything here and all my classes. Even though I do flawlessly in them all. Why do I have to be here? It's stupid. It's a stupid school that just crushes people like tiny insects. I mean, God, who really cares about corporate taxes?   
> Father is going to be mad. I try to be a good son. I do. I've done my best to be what he wanted but now he's wanting to introduce to a 'friend's daughter.' I'm sure he's already arranged us to marry once I graduate.   
> I don't even know the woman and I don't even like women! I'm sure she's a perfectly, nice, charming, wealthy woman blah, blah, blah. I don't care.   
> I like men. I like men a lot. I don't want to marry some ridiculous woman. And no one at the college is interested in more than a night. So beer it is!  
> Dorian


	7. Chapter 7

_Yo Dorian,_  
_You alright there big guy? I'm surprised you mailed me a letter drunk. I mean, I'm impressed. Judging by the slanting on the address and the postage it was all done while drunk. Do you even remember sending it? Look, don't let your dad force you into a bullshit marriage. You're a grown man so you can do what you want to do and don't let anyone tell your different!_  
Bull  


_Soldier,_  
_Please ignore whatever I sent in my ill-advised, beer-fueled letter. I wasn't thinking right and not making sense so just... let's pretend that didn't happen. I'm glad your tour is almost done. Are you going home to a wife, family, loved ones? They'll probably throw a parade in your honor. I hear a lot of cities do that. Do they really wear awful 10 gallon hats in Texas? Is it really all that big? THE STATE you pervert. I don't know why you keep writing me but I'll be traveling home for the holidays so I'll give you that address so you at least have something to do. Consider it a gift._  
Dorian 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone sending such sweet comments. Sorry there have been delays in postings. I've started querying a novel and getting rejections has been harder than I thought.
> 
> :(


	8. Chapter 8

_Yo Dorian,_

_So kind to give me your home address. That's a real present. Should I sneak down the chimney and wish you a Merry Christmas? I could find a way for you hot stuff._

_Did you wish for anything from Christmas? You didn't sit on my lap though, but maybe next year we can make up for that._

_I hope you have a happy holiday hot stuff!_

_Send me a kiss for the New Year?_

_Bull_

_Soldier,_

_Ugh. I will do not such thing. Besides, you would not even know if I had kissed the paper. So there._

_Must you always be so vulgar? No sneaking down any chimney is necessary. Besides Father always keeps the fires roaring all Christmas Eve. It's very cozy. New York is much colder than California and I don't know why Father insists we spend the holidays here. We have several homes; we could go to any of them._

_But yes, I do know why he picked here. It's close to where her parents live. No one has said anything but the blond woman who keeps visiting with her family is clearly being groomed to be my bride._

_That is not going to happen. I'll have to have a few words with father._

_Happy holidays Bull._

_Dorian_

_(A pair of faded of lip prints)_


End file.
